Playing card



Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL BAER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

' PLAYING CARD.

Application filed July 3,

My present invention relates to playing cards, and aims to devise articles of the character specified which shall possess superior properties, in the way of long Wear, fine 5 appearance, and unusually fine adaptability for the intended purpose, the playing cards of the present invention, in the illustrative embodiments of the same described herein for purposes of illustration only, being characterized by their flexibilit and resilience,

their hardness and fine slip, their waterproof qualities, and by other qualities hereinafter described in greater detail, such qualities rendering the playing cards of the present invention unusually satisfactory in use and giving the same unusually long life. In the accompanying specification I shall describe several illustrative embodiments of the'playing cards of the present invention.

It is, however, to be clearly understood that my invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof herein shown and described-for purposes of illustration only.

Referring to the drawing wherein I have illustrated one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view of said embodiment.

As illustrated in Fi 's. 1 and 2 of the drawing, 10 indicates the plan card which may consist of a paper or like base 11 havin printedor otherwise suitably impressed thereon the indicia 12 and being printed ,on each face thereof with the gum containing or equivalent coating 13.

In fabricating the playing cards of the present invention, the cards are initially printed in a single sheet containing an entire set of cards imprinted thereon, as is customary in the art to which the present invention relates. In order to produce a card having the desired properties enumerated above, it is desirable, or even necessary, that paper stock of the proper quality be selected for the printing of the cards. For this purpose a stock of the proper thickness, resiliency and te'xtureshould beselected. The porosity of the stock also plays an important part in the quality of the finished playing card, as do the filling and 5 sizing materials used in the manufacture of should 1924 Serial No. 723,957.

the sheets. This is for the reason that the effect of applying the coating solution to the paper sheets and the character of the resulting coating will obviously depend to a large degree upon the physical character- 5 istics of the stock, as to porosity, thickness, resiliency, texture and the like, to which the coating solution is applied. The foregoing sheet having imprinted thereon the set of playing cards and having the desired characteristics, referred to above, is now treated with a coating solution adapted to provide a coating of the desired sort. The solution used for this purpose be adapted to give a coating which will anchor well to the sheet to be coated, whlch will dry quickly, and which will leave a water-white, transparentdeposit. I have discovered that a solution contain-' ing a cellulose derivative, such as nitrocellulose or cellulose acetate, and a gum, and to which has preferably been added a wax, is admirably adapted for the intended purpose. Among the gums or resins, or gum resins, which may be used in connection with nitrocellulose or cellulose acetate, or their equivalents, are the following: Gum elemi, copal (kaurior Manilla) gum dammangum sandarac, gum ester or gum mastic; w hile amongst the resins which are suitable for use for this purpose are shellac, balsam (Canada) and copal. Among the waxes which may be used in forming the solution used for coating the sheets of printed cards are the following: beeswax, carnauba a1 1d 85 candelilla.

While various combinations of the classes of .materials specified above may be used with more or less success for the purposes of the present invention, I prefer to use a coat ing solution having substantially the following composition, although the proportions of the various ingredients may be varied within certain limits and other members of the classes of substances referred to above substituted in part or in whole for the 'articular substances mentioned in thefol owin composition:

@eeswax, 3 of an ounce; nitrocellulose, 8 ounces; gum elemi, 1 ounce. These ingre- 10c dients are dissolved in one gallon of a solvent which may be made'up from the following ingredients lowing ve The solution prepared as ab'ove described and containing nitrocellulose or its equivalent, and the gum elemi, or its equivalent, and preferably containin also beeswax or its equivalent, is now app ied to the printed sheets of playingcards, preferably by spraying the solution first on one side of the sheet of laying cards, after which the coated sheet is lieated and dried, and then on the other side of the printed sheet of playing cards,

after which the side thus coate is heated and dried.

The spraying 0 oration, which may be repeated on each slde of the printed sheet of cards so that the coatin will consist of two or more layers, shoul preferably be so conducted that the coating will be of uniform thickness and absolutel smooth. The solution applied as described above has the desirable quality that it anchors well, dries quickly without causing the ink to run, and leaves an inodorous, water-white, transparent deposit. Due to the propertyof the solution of drying quickl and leaving a deposit of the sort desire no laborious and exensive curing operation is required, involvmg the use of large curing chambers and an expensive and tedious manipulation of the sheets previous to, during, and after the curing operation.

he sheets of printed cards thus coated and dried, are now cut. One of the yery desirable properties of the coating of the present invention is that it does not peel away from the card during the cutting operation. The cards thus out are assembled in packs and boxed in the manner well known to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates. It may here be stated that the process described above and one form of apparatus by means of which the process may be expeditiously and economically dpracticed are more fully described an are claimed in another copending application filed by me of even date herewith.

1 The resulti playing cards have the folva uable properties and characteristics: he cards are unusually flexible and resilient, the coating being hard and not.

scratching readily, without, however, being brittle. The'coating is durable, firmly adherent to the paper stock on which it. is deposited, and possesses the desired de ree of The coatin is also waterproo so as to H readily was able with soap and water without deleteriously affecting the playing qualities of the card or its appearance.

The cards of the present invention are further characterized by the fact that the .coating is non-hygroscopic, and does not becometacky when the card is hot, nor do the cards stick together. The coating applied to the cards is firmly adherent and is thoroughly anchored in the card upon which it has been deposited. The coating is also, as already stated above, odorless and waterproof, in thosecases where a non-aqueous solvent has been used for the coating composition, a fact which assists materially in the quick drying properties of the card and in its other desirable qualities.

The card has the further advantages that it may be made either glossy or matte. The coating also has the desirable property that it may be cleanly cut with shears without lifting away from the paper stock to which the coating has been applied, the cutting operation leaving a smooth edge. The coating also does not adhere to the metal press which may be used for the finishing operation. The playing cards of the'present invention possess further advantages in their mode of manufacture, in their construction, and in their use, which will readily occur to those skilled in the art to which'the pres ent invention relates.

It may here be stated that after the sheets have been coated on both sides and then thoroughly dried, they are preferably put separately into a press to make each sheet of uniform thickness throughout and of the same thickness as the. other sheets, after which the sheets are cut into cards so that all of the-cards are of uniform thickness. It may here also be stated that the cards as out show a clean, smooth, sharp edge.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a playing card comprising a paper or like base, and a coating for the same comprising a cellulose derivative and a gum.

2. As an article of manufacture, a playing card comprising a paper or like base, and a coating for the same comprising a cellulose derivative, a Wax and a gum.

3. Asan article of manufacture, a playing card comprising apaper or like base, and a coating for the same comprising nitro-cellulose'andagum. .7

4. As an article of manufacture, a playing card comprising a paper-tor like'base, and a coating for the same-comprising nitro-cellulose, a wax and a a 5. As an article of manufacture, a playing card comprising a paper or like base, and a coating for the same comprising a cellulose derivative, a wax and gum elemi.

6. As an article of manufacture, a playing card comprising a'pape'r or -like' base, and a coating for the same comprising nitro-cellulose and gum elemi.

7. As an article of manufacture, card comprising a paper or like base, and a coating for the same comprising a cellulose derivative and gum elemi.

8. As an article of manufacture, card comprising a paper coating a pla ing or like base, aid at for the same comprising nitro-celluose, a wax and gum elemi.

9. As an article of manufacture,

card comprising a paper or like base, and a -water-proof, substantially odorless coating for the same comprising nitro-cellulosc and a gum.

10. As an article of manufactureflz laying card comprising a paper or like use, and a water-proof, substantially OdOllSlS coating for the same comprising nitro-cellulose, a wax and a gum.

11. As an article of manufacture, ing card comprising a paper or like base, and .a water-proof, substantially odorless coating for the same comprising a cellulose derivative, a wax and a gum.

'12. As an article of manufacture, a playing card comprising a paper or like base, and a water-proof, substantially odorless a playa playing a playing coating for the same derivative and a i 13. As an artic e ing card comprisin comprising a cellulose m.

ing card comprising a paper or like base, and

a resilient, water-proof and substantially odorless coating-for the same havin necessary cellulose derivative and a 15. As an'article of manufacture, a playmg card comprising a paper or like and a resilient coating for the same having the necessa degree of slip and comprising a cellulose (lgrivative and a gum.

16. As an article of manufacture, a playing card comprising a paper or like base, and a resilient, waterroof and substantially odorless coating or the same having the necessary degree of slip and comprising nitro-cellulose and a gum.

Intestimony, whereof, I have signed my name to this-specification this 13th day of SAMUEL BAER.

gum.

,June, 1924.

degree of slip and comprising a' the base, 

